Article with a dynamic frame formed with aligned pigment flakes

Abstract

An article includes a substrate and a graphical component forming an image and an optical component which includes magnetic pigment flakes aligned so as to form a frame pattern which surrounds the image. When light is incident upon the pigment flakes from a light source, light reflected from the frame pattern forms a dynamic frame which surrounds the image and appears to move as the substrate is tilted with respect to the light source. The image appears to be stationary when the dynamic frame appears to move.

We claim: 
     
       1. An article comprising:
 a substrate; 
 a graphical component comprising a first ink and forming a background including one or more colors, and an image discernible from the background, supported by the substrate; and 
 an optical component comprising a second ink, wherein the second ink is different from the first ink and comprises a plurality of pigment flakes, supported by the substrate, wherein the graphical component is at least partially disposed above the substrate and beneath the optical component; 
 wherein the pigment flakes include a magnetic or magnetizable material and are aligned so as to reflect incident light in a frame pattern such that the frame pattern surrounds the image; 
 wherein, within the frame pattern, along a plurality of radial directions originating within the image, angles which the pigment flakes form with the substrate decrease until at least a pigment flake of the plurality of pigment flakes is parallel to the substrate and then the angles increase so that, when light is incident upon the pigment flakes from a light source, light reflected from the frame pattern forms a dynamic frame which surrounds the image and the dynamic frame appears to move as the substrate is tilted with respect to the light source; 
 wherein the image appears to be stationary when the dynamic frame appears to move; and 
 wherein a size and a concentration of the pigment flakes in the second ink are such that a portion of the background adjacent to the dynamic frame is at least partially visible through the optical component. 
 
     
     
       2. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein along one of the plurality of radial directions the angles which pigment flakes form with the substrate decrease from at least 70 degrees to zero and then increase to at least 70 degrees. 
     
     
       3. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the image comprises a symbol or logo. 
     
     
       4. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of pigment flakes in the first ink is greater than 20 wt. %. 
     
     
       5. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the pigment flakes in the second ink is greater than 4 wt % and less than 14 wt %. 
     
     
       6. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein an additional frame is visible when the article is irradiated with light, and the dynamic frame appears to move relative to the additional frame. 
     
     
       7. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the optical component covers the image, and wherein the pigment flakes in the second ink are aligned so that the image is visible. 
     
     
       8. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the optical component is on a transparent support attached to the substrate. 
     
     
       9. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein along one of the plurality of radial directions, angles that the pigment flakes form with the substrate decrease from at least 80 degrees at an originating point of the plurality of radial directions to zero and then increase to at least 80 degrees near the edge of the frame. 
     
     
       10. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first ink and the second ink provide a color shifting effect. 
     
     
       11. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic frame appears to float out of a plane of the substrate. 
     
     
       12. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the article is a security device. 
     
     
       13. The article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the article is a banknote. 
     
     
       14. An article comprising:
 a substrate and a multilayered image supported by the substrate, wherein the multilayered image comprises an indicia, a background pattern, and a coating comprising ink comprising pigment flakes, wherein the pigment flakes comprise a magnetic or magnetizable material, 
 wherein the coating is supported by a frame region of the substrate surrounding the indicia and covering a portion of the background pattern; 
 wherein a cross-section of the coating in the frame region has an arching pattern of pigment flakes, and the arching pattern is maintained along the frame region so that light reflected from the arching pattern forms a dynamic frame which surrounds the indicia and moves relative to the background when the substrate is tilted; and 
 wherein a size and a concentration of the pigment flakes in the ink is such that a portion of the background underlying the frame region outside of the dynamic frame is at least partially visible whereby the dynamic frame delimits an indicia-containing dynamic region from the background and the dynamic region moves relative to the background when the substrate is tilted so that the dynamic frame or indicia appears to float out of a plane of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       15. An article comprising:
 a substrate and an optical component comprising pigment flakes in a binder supported by the substrate, wherein the optical component has a first curved region comprising a first plurality of pigment flakes aligned in a first arching pattern in cross sections of the first curved region so that light reflected from the first plurality of pigment flakes provides an image of a first frame, and the optical component has a second curved region comprising a second plurality of pigment flakes different from the first plurality of pigment flakes, aligned in a second arching pattern in cross sections of the second curved region so that light reflected from the second plurality of pigment flakes provides an image of a second frame, wherein the first frame appears to move relative to the second frame when the substrate is tilted. 
 
     
     
       16. The article as defined in  claim 15 , wherein flakes in the second curved region are aligned in an arching pattern so that the second frame appears to move when the substrate is tilted, and wherein the first and second arching patterns arch in opposite directions so that the first and second frames appear to move with respect to the substrate and to each other. 
     
     
       17. The article as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the first plurality of pigment flakes in the first frame are lying with respect to the substrate so that the first frame appears static when the substrate is tilted. 
     
     
       18. The article as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the first curved region coincides with the second curved region. 
     
     
       19. The article as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the optical component comprises a first layer comprising the first plurality of pigment flakes, and a second layer comprising the second plurality of pigment flakes. 
     
     
       20. The article as defined in  claim 19 , further comprising a transparent plastic support attached to the substrate, wherein the first or second layer is coated onto the transparent plastic support. 
     
     
       21. The article as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising an image printed in non-magnetic ink. 
     
     
       22. An article comprising:
 a substrate and an optical component comprising a plurality of pigments, supported by the substrate; 
 wherein the pigments are pigment flakes that include a magnetic or magnetizable material, aligned so as to reflect incident light in a frame pattern such that the frame pattern surrounds an image and, within the frame pattern, along a plurality of radial directions originating within the image at a point of origination, angles which the pigment flakes form with the substrate decrease from at least 70° at the point of origination until at least one pigment flake of the plurality of pigment is parallel to the substrate and then the angles increase again to at least 70° near the edge of the frame so that, when light is incident upon the pigment flakes from a light source, light reflected from the frame pattern forms a dynamic frame which appears to move as the substrate is tilted with respect to the light source, and wherein a size of the dynamic frame changes as the frame appears to move. 
 
     
     
       23. The article defined in  claim 22 , wherein a shape of the dynamic frame is maintained when the dynamic frame appears to move. 
     
     
       24. A method of manufacturing the article defined in  claim 22 , comprising:
 providing a coating having pigment flakes dispersed in a binder to a substrate, wherein the pigment flakes include a magnetic or magnetizable material, aligning the pigment flakes with a magnetic assembly, and 
 fixing the binder, 
 wherein the magnetic assembly comprises a stack of one or more magnets, the stack has top and bottom surfaces, and a through cut between the top and bottom surfaces whereby the top surface has a top opening and the bottom surface has a bottom opening smaller than the top opening, and 
 wherein a magnetic axis of the magnetic assembly is in a direction from one to another of the top and bottom surfaces. 
 
     
     
       25. The method as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the through cut is a tapered extruded cut. 
     
     
       26. The method as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the top opening has a same shape as the bottom opening. 
     
     
       27. The article as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the concentration of the pigment flakes is greater than 4 wt % and less than 14 wt %.